


I do

by SilenceOfTheCookies



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Chess, F/M, Falling In Love, Forced Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25734838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilenceOfTheCookies/pseuds/SilenceOfTheCookies
Summary: As the eldest princess of your county, your parents have arranged for you to marry Ren Kouen, the crown prince of the Kou empire. It may sound nice, but this is no fairy tale. There are no sparks, no love. At least, not at first.This was supposed to be a oneshot, but a sequel was requested on Tumblr.
Relationships: Ren Kouen/Original Character(s), Ren Kouen/Original Female Character(s), Ren Kouen/Reader
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NakuNakuNoMi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NakuNakuNoMi/gifts).



> Warnings: mentions of suggestive themes

“Do you, Ren Kouen, take L/N Y/N to be your lawfully wedded wife?”  
“I do.”  
“And do you, L/N Y/N, take Ren Kouen to be your lawfully wedded husband?”  
“I do.”  
“Then by the power bestowed upon me by the Kou empire, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

The first kiss held no emotion at all. Neither did the vows. Everything felt forced, just like the marriage you had gotten into. Not that you expected anything different. You and Kouen had been forced into a political marriage, you as the eldest princess of your kingdom, and Kouen as the crown prince, who would need a wife for when he ascended. 

You had only met once before the marriage. The emperor of the Kou empire and your father were discussing the alliance, while Kouen was showing you around the palace grounds. He had been indifferent, uninterested and he seemed everything but happy. You couldn’t blame him, you weren’t too excited about this either. Though you were happy that Kouen was a handsome young man, and not some ugly old creep. 

The party was stiff and formal, as you had expected. The wedding took place in the Kou empire, where you would now be living. Only a few nobles and family members from your country had showed up, so most of the guests were people you didn’t know. Kouen greeted them all with either a serious face or a confident grin, and he introduced you to every one of them. You were sure you wouldn’t be able to remember all of their names. The party wasn’t really on your mind at the moment, and neither were politics. 

It was with your now husband, and what he would be expecting of you, mostly of the first night. You knew what was supposed to happen, but you did not feel ready for it at all. You had read many stories talking about the romance of sharing a bed with the person you loved, and the fact that you had to share this special moment with a stranger made you sick. 

The party lasted until late in the night, and it resulted in quite a lot of drunk people. One of them had been one of the Kou princesses, Kougyoku if you remembered correctly, who had started talking to you. It was a little awkward because she was pretty far gone, but you could feel she meant well. She told you little things about Kouen, things you ‘should know as his wife’. How he would work until late at night, how he enjoyed reading and playing chess to pass his free time. How much all his younger siblings looked up to him, and how much of a respectable man he was. Before she got much further, one of her servants gently coaxed her away from your side, and apologised on her behalf for her intoxicated state. 

Not long after that, the party ended and you follow Kouen to the bedroom. You were so nervous you could throw up, but you tried to endure it. Kouen held the door open for you, and you stepped inside. 

“Your clothes are over in that closet. If you need anything, call the servants. I will be sleeping in my room down the hallway.” You stared at Kouen in disbelief.  
“But shouldn’t we… ehm…”  
“You’re uncomfortable, right? Don’t pretend you’re not, I’ve noticed your behaviour at the wedding. I refuse to take a woman against her will, wife or not. Get used to life around here first, then we’ll see about consummating the marriage.”

You stared at his back as Kouen left your room, unable to react. About a minute after he closed the door behind him, you collapsed and started crying, unable to contain all the feelings you felt. Fear. Had you been so obvious? Would there be consequences? Doubt. Were you not good enough? But also happiness. He would not take you against your will. You would not be forced to spend the night with him. You would spend the night in your own bed, without a stranger next to you, doing things to you. 

Once you had let out most of the emotion and sorted the bulk of your thoughts, you got changed into your nightgown and lied down in the bed. After all the stress from that day, and the emotions from that night, you were both physically and emotionally exhausted. The comfort of your new bed took you by surprise, and it didn’t take long before you fell asleep. 

The next morning, servants woke you up, helped you get ready, and your new life as a princess of the Kou empire, and wife to Ren Kouen, began. You were required to join him and his siblings during mealtimes, but apart from that you got a surprising amount of freedom. You were no hostage for your country, but you still expected a more restricted approach, certainly since Kouen seemed to strict. Then again, he had already shown you he respected you, at least until a certain degree. 

For the first few weeks, you and Kouen barely talked to each other at all. There was some conversation during mealtimes, mostly to keep up appearances, but there was no spark, no affection, no love. Once mealtimes were over, you minded your business, and Kouen minded his. He never asked you to sleep in his room, nor did anyone else question it. It wasn’t like he was unfriendly to you, and neither were you to him. There was just very little interaction coming from either side. It was an arranged marriage after all, this was just your duty. Neither of you seemed very much interested in each other, until one night in the library. 

You had been in the Kou palace for a little over a month, and you knew the place like the back of your hand. It was late, but you were far from tired. To chase away the boredom, you decided to head to the library to find a book to read until you got sleepy. Once you entered the library, you noticed the two eldest princes. Kouen was sitting on a chair next to a table with a chess board on it, and Koumei was walking away from the table. 

“Come on, Koumei. Just one more game?” Kouen grinned.  
“You always say one more game, and then you insist on another one after that. I’ve had enough for today, brother. I’ll be retreating to my room. Good night.”

Koumei walked past you on his way out, and nodded to you as a greeting before he left. Kouen sighed, although still grinning, and looked at you. 

“Good night, Y/N. What brings you here at this hour?”  
“I wanted to read a book before going to bed.”  
“I see… so you’re not tried yet?”  
“No…?”  
“You wouldn’t know how to play chess, would you?”  
“Only the basics, but I do, actually.” You were a little proud to admit you knew how to play chess. Maybe a little too proud. Kouens grin widened at your answer.  
“Then, why don’t you play a game with me?” You instantly regretted your answer, and the pride behind it, but it was too late to back down now.  
“Very well, one game.”

One game turned into many. Kouen beat you every game, but you learned from his strategies and got a little better every time. About 5 games in, most of the formalities and indifferent treatments had been cast aside and you finally managed to see Kouen as the person he was. Confident, curious, smart, strategic and most of all, someone who loves gloating at a win, even if it was against an inexperienced player. And on the rare occasion that you made a good move that ruined his strategy? He would actually scowl, which was an oddly cute look on the crown prince. The games continued for a good while, before drowsiness finally caught a hold of you. 

“Perhaps we should end our game here for tonight?”  
“We’re mid-game, how come?”  
“Because you seem to be falling asleep right where you’re sitting.” Kouen said with a serious face, though he couldn’t help but grin at the end.  
“Maybe then you should make your move so we can continue this game. That would ease the boredom. I get thinking about your move, but you’re really taking long this time.”  
“I made my move 3 minutes ago, Y/N. Did you not notice?” You stared at Kouen, and he grinned back at you. Feeling your cheeks heat up, you huffed and got up.  
“Fine, we’ll end it here for tonight. Good night, Kouen.”  
“Good night, Y/N.”

Getting up the next morning was more of a challenge than expected. You had stayed up much later than expected because of the games, and now you were feeling the results of your actions. Maybe taking a nap somewhere around noon would be a good idea. Or straight after breakfast. That also sounded good.

“Well well, look who’s finally woken up.” Kouen grinned as you sat down next to him. “Did your defeat from last night keep you awake?”  
“Oh no, not at all. Though I suppose you slept great, gloating about how you, an experienced player, beat a novice at every single match?”

The table was deadly silent, with the exception of Koumei. Knowing what was going on, a single snort from him was heard before he continued eating with a smile. Kouen stared at you with his piercing glare, before actually laughing. The sound of his laughter sounded like music to your ears, and the way his eyes closed while laughing made your cheeks feel warm. 

“Then why don’t we change that? My study, tonight after dinner. I’ll show you that no matter how good you get, you still won’t be able to defeat me.”  
“You’re on.”  
“Good.”

Kouen grinned at you one more time, before continuing to eat his breakfast. You had no idea why you agreed to getting your ass kicked some more at chess. It was probably his laugh, the sound and sight of it were now burned into your brain, and you were hoping to see it again soon. 

As you walked back to your room, set on getting some more sleep now you knew you would probably be up late again tonight, you went over what just happened one more time. Mostly over what you felt during that conversation. The want to spend another night with him like that, and the heat you felt in your cheeks when he actually laughed. You had a good idea what this was, you had read enough books about it, but you wouldn’t call it love just yet. Maybe a crush would be better. You barely knew him after all, but you had a feeling that wasn’t going to be the case for long.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: mention of suggestive themes, just like in the last chapter

It had been quite some time since Kouen and you started playing chess together, and it felt like you’ve been completely accepted into the royal family since that moment. Koumei would warmly greet you whenever you passed by, and sometimes give you tips on chess strategies, hoping that you could tone his brothers ego down a bit. Kouha and you sometimes had tea together while having a casual conversation. He was a bit of an odd one, but his heart was in the right place. Hakuryuu didn’t change that much, he was still the polite but slightly silent guy you got to know him as. 

And Kougyoku? She was now your best friend. The princess was thrilled to have another princess in the palace who didn’t think she was trash for being a warrior, or for being the daughter of a courtesan. She was overly honest in everything she told you, like everyone’s behaviour towards you before you and Kouen started getting along. 

Apparently, they all assumed Kouen and you simply didn’t get along, or actually got into a fight. Husband and wife not sharing a bed, only interacting at all during meals, and overall giving each other the cold shoulder was not a good impression, after all. They decided to leave the two of you to fight it out without interfering, but because of that they didn’t get the chance to actually get to know you. You also had to admit that at first, due to being forced into this, you didn’t even want to get to know the other princes and princesses. 

Kouen and you had spent many more nights playing chess, mostly in the library or in his study, but sometimes also in the garden. Apart from chess, the two of you started interacting more outside of the dining room as well. Reading books together was not uncommon, nor was just talking a walk together. Sometimes Kouen would have you called to a secluded part of the gardens, where he’d have a picnic ready for you under the shade of a big tree. You’d eat together, talk about whatever came to mind and whenever Kouen had to make a though call on something, he’d ask your opinion. Over the time you spent together, he learned you were no princess who could only sit around and be pretty. You were smart, considerate and you had more political insight than he ever could’ve hoped. 

Not long after you started playing chess together, you learned that Kouen appreciated brutal honesty above all, in many ways. He appreciated you showing your true colours around him, even if that resulted in him getting teased or made fun of. That way, he said, he knew what kind of person he was dealing with. People who lie about their motives are the dangerous ones, even if their polite personas might be easier to deal with. But when you yelled at him a decision he was about to make was bad, he was slightly shocked. You instantly realised what you had done, thinking you had crossed the line, and apologised. Instead of getting mad, he simply asked you why you thought it was wrong. 

Today was another picnic day. You had just finished eating, and were now leaning against the tree you were sitting under, reading a book. Despite the book being really interesting, it’s not what your mind was focussed on. Your thoughts had drifted to the man learning against the tree next to you. It was never said out loud, but you had the feeling he was using these picnics as a way of courting you. He didn’t have to do it, already being married, but you were glad he did nonetheless. It made you feel special. 

By now, you were pretty sure you were falling for the prince. You were always happy to see him, excited to do something with him and every time he laughed, your heart skipped a beat. However, before telling him anything like that, you had a burning question that you really wanted an answer to first. 

“Kouen?”  
“Yes?”  
“Why did you give me my own room?” Kouen kept staring at his book for a bit, before closing it and putting it to the side.   
“I told you that already, didn’t I? Because you were uncomfortable, and because I won’t take a woman against her will.”  
“You had full right to do so though. Some might even say it was our obligation.”  
“Taking a woman against her will is a crime, Y/N. Being married or not does not change that, at least not in my opinion.”  
“So… your plan is just to let me do my thing?”  
“Yes. That way you can set a pace you’re comfortable with.”  
“And what if I’d never be comfortable?”  
“Then I’d accept that and deal with it.”  
“But then you’d have no heir, right?”  
“There are different solutions for that.”  
“So… you’re really letting me set the pace in this?”  
“Yes.”  
“And you’ll just follow along with my pace?”  
“Yes.” 

During the whole conversation, Kouen kept eye contact with you. All you could see in his eyes was honesty, concern and it may be because it’s what you hoped to see, but you thought you could see some affection in there as well? You thanked your lucky stars that out of all the men you could’ve gotten married to, it was Kouen. Though there was no love at first, hearing his answer now made you sure that you had fallen for this man. You smiled at him, took a deep breath and finally made up your mind. 

“Then kiss me.” Kouen’s eyes widened briefly, before a smile graced his lips. Taking your chin between his thumb and index finger, he leaned in closer to you.   
“As you wish.”

After saying that, Kouen leaned in and softly kissed you. It was a short, careful kiss but for you it was perfect. Well, almost. Kouen pulled back but kept his face close to you, checking your face for any sign of discomfort. You grinned, and put both hands on his cheeks.   
“Allow me” you said as you connected your lips once again, this time longer and a bit more passionate, hoping that your actions would convey your feelings without you actually having to say them out loud. Kouen moved his hand from your chin to the back of your head and returned the kiss with just as much passion. 

Breaking the kiss, you let out a shaky breath as you opened your eyes to look at him. Kouen chuckled. 

“I see you’ve got your pace set already.”  
“I do. I hope you like surprises, because there’ll be more to come in the future.”  
“If they’re going to be like this one, I think I won’t mind them.”  
“Good.”

You smiled, picked up your book again and moved yourself to sit just as far from him as you did before. Kouen watched you and started laughing. He had expected you to sit down next to him, probably leaning your head on his shoulder, but of course you were special. He wouldn’t want it any other way. You weren’t like other women, you couldn’t be predicted. And that’s exactly why he had fallen for you. He picked up his book as well and continued reading, wondering what your next step would be, and how you would surprise him with it.


End file.
